Ingredients
Adjust Servings:
| 300ml Tea, hot | |
| 150g Sultanas | |
| 150g Raisins | |
| 150g Wholemeal Flour | |
| 1 teaspoon Baking Powder | |
| 170g White flour, self raising | |
| 1 teaspoon Mixed spice | |
| 30g Butter | |
| 100g Walnuts, roughly chopped | |
| 2 Eggs | |
| 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract | |
| 1 Orange rind |
Nutritional information
70g
Serving size
194/803
kcal/kj
27g
Carbohydrates
7.6g
Fat
1.9
Saturated Fat
17g
Sugar
2,9g
Fibre
0.4g
Salt
3.5
Protein
Tea Brack
Features:
Cuisine:
This tea brack couldn't be easier to make and is healthier than traditional recipes.
The natural sugar in the dried fruit gives plenty of sweetness, without the need to add extra sugar. The wholemeal flour and nuts give good slow release energy.
Ingredients
-
300ml Tea, hotAllow to cool a little after brewing.
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150g SultanasYou can substitute with any dried fruit
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150g RaisinsYou can substitute with any dried fruit
-
150g Wholemeal FlourFine textured. If not give it a whizz in a food processor.
-
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
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170g White flour, self raising
-
1 teaspoon Mixed spiceNutmeg and/or cinnamon works very well too
-
30g Butter
-
100g Walnuts, roughly choppedYou can use any type of unsalted nuts
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2 Eggs
-
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
-
1 Orange rindOptional
Directions
The Irish traditional Halloween or Barmbrack (bairín breac) contained various wrapped objects. The brack was carefully cut to avoid displaying the objects or charms, so that the recipient didn’t see they had got one until they took a bite of their slice.
The objects were wrapped in greaseproof paper and placed in the brack before it was baked. There was much excitement when various members of the family found one of the charms in their slice. The brack always contained a gold coloured ring which predicted the recipient would marry within the year.
A coin signified wealth but a small piece of cloth meant poverty. A button predicted the recipient would be a bachelor and a thimble predicted a lady would be a spinster. A twig signified that an unhappy marriage was likely. If a recipient got a pea in their slice it could mean they would not marry that year or that they would be wealthy.
The tradition continues to this day, but bracks usually just contain a gold coloured ring.
Steps
|
1
Done
|
Soak the fruitRemove any dry stalks from the sultanas and raisins and place them in a medium sized bowl. Pour the hot tea over them. Cover and leave to soak up the tea for at least 4 hours but preferably overnight. |
|
2
Done
|
Prepare the tin & ovenLine a 900g (2lb) loaf tin. A 20 cm (8") round tin would also be suitable, but it needs to be able to hold 1 litre of liquid. Set the oven to 170C/325F/gas mark 3. |
|
3
Done
|
AssembleMelt the butter. |
|
4
Done
|
BakeSpoon the mixture into the prepared tin. If you are adding the wrapped charms, carefully slide them into the cake mixture. Bake for approximately 50 minutes. The brack should be nicely browned. Cover with a piece of greaseproof paper if the cake is getting too brown during the bake. Test by inserting a clean skewer or knife into the center. If the brack is cooked it will come out clean. If not leave in the oven for another few minutes. Leave to cool in the tin. The brack is even better the next day, |
|
5
Done
|
Artisan note:If you want to make a different sized cake you can adjust the ingredient quantities by using the little button at the top of the ingredient list. |
